Mattress and cushion filling machine



Dec. 1, 1931. D. MlcoN 1,834,531

MATTRESS AND CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l I? fi Dec. 1, 1931. D. MICON 1,834,531

MATTRESS AND CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan 50, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2i v indanf was '6 wt, 0) T, 4,)

Dec. 1, 1931. D. MICON 4,

MATTRESS AND CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ju/emr,

3 simultaneously.

Patented flee. l, 1931 PATENT OFFICE DAVID MICON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN MATTRESS AND CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Application filed. January 30, 1928. Serial No. 250,408.

This invention relates to machines for filling mattresses cushions and the like.

Mattresses and cushions have usually-been manufactured by sewing the cover together with one side left open to receive the filling, the latter being inserted in the open side and the cover thereafter sewed. Before the filling was inserted in the mattress or cushionthe same was provided with tufts in transverse and longitudinal spaced relation connecting the top and bottom thereof and dividing the mattress or cushion intosections. Sometimes a mattress is provided in sections by sewing the top and bottom to- I gcther along parallel spaced lines or by providing spaced walls between thetop and bottom.

In filling mattresses which have been divided into sections in the above manner it has been customary to insert the filling into the various sections separately.

t is the primary object/of this invention to provide a machine which inserts the filling into the various sections of the mattress It is also an ol ject of this invention to provide a. machine which will efliciently fill a mattress or cushion whether the section thereof be divided by walls sewed between the top and bottom by sewing the top and bottom together at spaced positions or merely by tufts arranged in spacedrelation.

ini

taken Other and further objects of this invention willbe apparent as the same becomes l'iettcr understood from an examination of the specification and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying this invention.

Fi 2 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a front elevation, Fig. taken Fig.

at the line 4:4: of Fig. 1,

5 is an enlarged fragmentary section at the line 55 of Fig. 1,

4: is an enlarged fragmentary section Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the inserters,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the machine with parts omitted showing a mattress or cushion cover in position'to receive the inserted and filling,

Fig. 8 is a similar view with the insertel and fillingin the cover,

Fig. 9 is a similar view with the insertei partly removed from the cover,

Fig. 10 is a transverse section of a mat-tress of the type which is divided in sections by spaced tufts, and

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of a mattress which is divided into sections by sewing the top and bottom of the cover together at parallel spaced positions Referring to the drawings more particularly numeral 12 represents the frame of the machine which is in the form of a table. The table is provided witha longitudinal slot 13 through which depends a vertically slotted member 14. The member 14 is rigidly connected at its upper end to a transverse carriage 15. The carriage 15 is movably supported by a roller 16 at either end which tracks in a suitable longitudinal track at the correspondingside of the table 12.

A pair of spaced shafts 17 are journaled at opposite ends of the table 12 and are each provided with a sprocket wheel 18 which are connected by a chain 19. A laterally eX- tending lug 21 is provided on the chain 19 and is adapted to track in aslot 22 in the member 14 so that when either one of the shafts 17, one of which is connected to a suitable source of power, is driven said member 21 will track in said slot 22 to move the carriage 15 forward or backward on the table 12.

Transversely spaced longitudinal guide ways 23 are provided on the table 12 and are each provided with an inserter designated generally by the numeral 24.

Each inserter is adapted to contain enough is n) filling material 25 for one section of the mattress or cushion as the case may be.

These inserters 24 each includes a bottom channel member 26 and an upper cover 27 hinged thereto to permit the same to be lifted and filling material placed in the ins-erter. The manner in which the cover 27 is hinged to the bottom member 26 is such as to permit a limited sliding movement between the cover and bottom when in closed position. To this end the cover is provided with a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally slotted members 28 through which a transverse pin 29 connecting the sides of the bottom member extends. The reason for so connecting the cover and bottom as to permit a limited sliding movement between them will be apparent in connection with the description of the operation of the machine which will be presently explained.

Each of the inserters 24 is connected to the carriage 15 by means of a hooked portion 31 integral with the bottom of each inserter and engaged with an upwardly extending transverse flange 32 on said carriage.v

Thus when either one of the shafts 17 is driven'the inserters may be actuated simultaneously in their respective guide ways 23.

A weighted roller 33 is mounted above the inserters between the ends of arms 34 which are hinged to the table so as to permit said roller to be lifted and swung to the rear of the table when it is desired to open the inserters to replenish them with filling material; hen this roller is swung to the front of the table it sears down on the inserters to compress the material therein and permitlsaid inserters to enter the cover of the mattress or cushion.

The mattress or cushion cover is supported at the front end of the table in position to receive the inserters by means of fiat members 35 one for each section wall of the mattress whether that wall be formed merely of tufts asshown in Fig. 10 or by sewing the top and bottom of the cover of the mattress or cushion together at parallel spaced positions as shown in Fig. 11. Each of the members 35 is carried in equally spaced relation on a transverse bar 36 slidably mounted in brackets 37 and 38. A tension spring 39 connected at one end by a pin 41 to the bar 36 and at its other 'end by a pin42 to the table normally acts to clamp the members 35 against extensions 43 on the'respective side walls of the guide ways 23. The bar 36 is provided with a slot 44 whereby the bar 36 may be moved relative to the pin 42' to move the members 35 away from the respective extensions 43 to permit the mattress or cushion cover to be arranged to bring the various tufts or portions of the cover which constitute the walls of the respeetive sections in position to be clamped when said bar is released. \Vhen the mattress is one such as shown in Fig. 11 it is not necessary to bunch the mattress up as shown in Figs. 2 or 7 but it is only necessary to catch the front edge of the side walls of the various sections between the members 35 and 43.

In the operation assuming the inserters 24 to be filled with filling material as previously explained and the mattress supported in position to receive the inserters the machine is operated to cause the inserters to enter their respective sections of the mattress. lVhen the mattress is of the type il lustrated in Fig. 10 the cover will be supported as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 with the one side contracted toward the opposite open side and the respective'tufts separating each section held togetherto be successively released as the filling progresses and the cover expands.

In order that the friction between the interior of the mattress and the filling mate rial may not cause the latter to move rearwardly within the inserters the same are provided with forwardly sloping prongs 45 which extend into the filling. As the operation of the machine continues the carriage 15 will move back to the rear of the table 12 and withdraw the bottom 26 of each inserter as shown in Fig. 9 a limited distance before it withdraws the top 27 thereof. This is due to the connection between the cover and bottom previously explained which permits a limited sliding movement therebetween. The reason for withdrawing the bottom 26 of each inserter a limited amount before withdrawing the cover thereof is to release the compression on the filling material at the outer end of the inserter to permit more of the material to frictionally contact the interior of the mattress or cushion cover so that the material will not be withdrawn from the cover upon the withdrawal of the inserter.

In order to facilitate movement of the bar 36 the same is provided with a handle 47. A pawl 48 is provided on the bar 36 in position to engage a notch 49 in the member 38 for the purpose of holding said bar in position whereby the mattress may be arranged to bring the walls of the various sections between the members 35 and 43 prior to clamping the cover in position to receive the inserters. A handle 51 is provided on the pawl 48 for releasing the same.

The operation and advantages of my machine will be apparent from the foregoing description.

I am aware that many changes may be made without departing from the principles of this invention and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable member including a pair of spaced parts for containing therebetween sufficient filling material for a portion of a mattress cover or the like and adapted to be inserted therein, mechanical means for actuating said member into and out of said cover and a lost motion connection between said means and one of said parts whereby the same is automatically withdrawn from the cover after the other part has been partially withdrawn.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of areciprocable member including a pair of spaced parts for containing therebetween sutficient filling material for a portion of a mattress cover or the like and adapted to be inserted therein, means for actuating said member into and out of said cover and means for preventing rearward movement of the filling material between said parts as the same are inserted into the cover.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable member includin g a pair of spaced parts for containing therebetween sufficient filling material for a portion of a cover of a mattress or the like and adapted to be inserted therein, means for actuating said member into and out of said cover and means for preventing rearward movement of the filling material between said parts the same are inserted into the cover said last means comprising a forward ly sloping projection on one of the parts adapted to extend into the material.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable member including a pair of spaced parts for contain ing therebetween suificient filling material for a portion of a mattress cover or the like and adapted to be inserted therein, means for actuating said member into and out of J said cover, a lost motion connection between said means and one of said parts whereby the same is automatically withdrawn from the cover after the other part has been partially withdrawn and means on the part having the lost motion connection with the first means for preventing rearward movement of the filling material between said parts as the same are inserted into the cover.

5. In a machine of the character described,

' the combination of a reciprocable member including a pair of spaced parts for containing therebetween sufiicient filling material for a portion of a cover of a mattress or the like and adapted to be inserted therein, means for actuating said member into and out of said cover, a lost motion connection between said means and one of said parts whereby the same is automatically withdrawn from the cover after the other part has been partially withdrawn and a forwardly sloping projection on the last mentioned part adapted to extend into the material.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a support, a carriage thereon, means for moving said carriage in a predetermined path, on said support, and a plurality of members, including a pair of spaced parts, each member being adapted to contain filling material between its respective parts for a mattress or the like and adapted to supplement each other for completely filling the same, saidmembers being operatively connected to said carriage and arranged on said support whereby movement of said support may cause them to be inserted and withdrawn from the cover on said mattress or the like to fill the same, the connection between said carriage and one of the spaced parts of each member providing a lost motion between such parts and the carriage whereby the said parts having the lost motion connection are withdrawn after their respective opposite parts have been partially withdrawn.

7. In a mattress filling machine, a reciprocable member comprising a pair of spaced parts for containing therebetween mat-tress filling material, means for actuating said member into and out of a mattress cover, means for holding the leading edges of said. parts during insertion in spaced apart registration, means for eliecting relative longitudinal displacement of said parts at the beginning of and during withdrawal of the parts, and means operative during withdrawal of said parts for urging the material away from one of said parts against the surface of the cover behind the receding end of the other part. i

8. In a mattress filling machine, a reciprocable member comprising a pair of spaced parts for retaining therebetween mattress filling material, means for actuating said member into and out o1 a mattress cover, means for holding said parts during insertion into the mattress with their leading edges advanced substantially the same amount into the mattress cover, means for effecting a substantial longitudinal relative displacement of said edges during withdrawal of said member for increasing the frictional contact of the filling material and the mattress cover, and means connected with one of said parts for preventing rearward movement of: the filling material held between the parts during insertion of the parts.

9. In a mattress filling machine, a reciprocable member comprising a pair of spaced parts for retaining therebetween mattress filling material, means for actuating said member into and out of a mattress cover, means for holding said parts during insertion into the mattress with their leading edges advanced substantially the same amount into the mattress cover, means for effecting a substantial longitudinal relative displacement of said edges during Withdrawal of said member for increasing the frictional contact of the filling material and the mat-tress cover, and means connected with one of said parts for preventing rearward movement of the filling material held between the parts during insertion of the parts and for pressing the material during 10 Withdrawal of said part away from said part and against the mattress cover.

In Witness of the foregoing Iaflix my signature.

V Y DAVID MICON. 

